Image: Waterval in Muldersdrif se Loop, Walter Sisulu NBT, b

Description: View of two Verreaux's eagle (Aquila verreauxii) nests (see notes near image centre) at the Roodekrans, beside Witpoortjie Waterfall in Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden. Verreaux's eagles sometimes build a backup nest, or as in this case, move to a newly built nest without abandoning the former. One or either of the nests may be refurbished for breeding, and both may be used in a single season during consecutive breeding cycles. When these nests were photographed in 2015, the resident eagle pair was female Emonyeni and her third partner, Thulani. Emonyeni was over 46 years old in 2015, as she arrived in 1970. Earlier in 2015 they had raised a chick in the bottom nest, which was to be their last. Emonyeni disappeared in April 2016, after she was apparently seen flying with a third eagle, perhaps a younger female, and there was no breeding attempt that year. The dynamics of her departure are not understood.[1] Prior to 1994 only the bottom nest existed, and the breeding pair then consisted of female Emonyeni and her second partner Quatele. Spray from the falls was sometimes blown into this nest, the possible cause of death of some chicks. The bottom nest was utilized in a second and successful breeding cycle in 1994, and a second but unsuccessful breeding cycle in 1996. The lower nest was used exclusively from 2003 to 2015. It was washed away by rains in March 2018, by which time the new female, Makatsa, had built a new nest.[1] Building of the top nest started in 1994. Emonyeni laid the first egg in it on 7 May 1994, but both chicks died. This and the following year's breeding cycles were successful. Male Quatele disappeared in March 1998, causing Emonyeni to abandon this nest on 6 April. On 25 April 1998 a male Thulani appeared, and a breeding cycle was started anew. The juvenile fledged on 10 November. Breeding was successful in 1999, failed in 2000, and succeeded again in 2001 when the eagles were provided with supplementary food. Breeding attempts in both nests failed in 2002, and breeding in the top nest was then discontinued until Emonyeni disappeared in 2016.[1]
Title: Waterval in Muldersdrif se Loop, Walter Sisulu NBT, b
Credit: Own work
Author: JMK
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
License Link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
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